Swindlers waltz into house, steal $20,000 from elderly couple

It’s a time-worn technique police see all too often -- scam artists pretending to be someone they’re not, then diverting their victim’s attention to rob them.

Leslie Fark

They were singled out because of their age, deteriorating health and where they live.

It’s a time-worn technique police see all too often -- scam artists pretending to be someone they’re not, then diverting their victim’s attention to rob them.

"There are people that go around and their sole objective is to rip people off," Bartonville Police Chief Brian Fengel said Wednesday. "This is their job. That’s what they do."

That’s what happened to an elderly Bartonville couple on March 15. They didn’t fall victim to a home repair fraud or lottery hoax, law enforcement officials said. Rather, the thieves entered their home in plain sight and left flush with the victims’ savings.

About 2 p.m., a Hispanic man about 5-foot-10 and weighting more than 200 pounds walked into the victims’ home without permission, police reports stated. In the living room, the 80-year-old husband met the man, who was inquiring about property lines, saying he was hired to do landscaping at the house next door and wanted to know where the client’s property line ended so he wouldn’t intrude on the victim’s property.

The victim agreed to show the man and led him into the backyard, leaving his 84-year-old wife, who uses a wheelchair, alone in the house.

Seconds later, another Hispanic man, this one about 5-foot-8 and weighting between 150 and 180 pounds, entered the house and turned his attention to the wife. For several minutes the man -- in broken English -- explained to her he was there to check the lot’s lines, all while ignoring the wife’s demands to leave the house.

It was during this time that she saw a third Hispanic man wearing a dark-colored jacket run out the door, with the second man in tow. When her husband returned, she told him of the other men that had been in the house.

The husband checked a safe the couple keep in the house and found it pried open and emptied. Taken was the $20,000 they had been saving for medical emergencies.

Village police have dealt with other frauds and scams targeting the elderly, and like the others, believe this one was random.

"If this has happened to anyone else, we would like to know," Fengel said. "Sometimes it’s hard to come forward if this has happened, but you shouldn’t be embarrassed."

Swindlers are known to look at communities close to interstates. They scope out neighborhoods and prey on senior citizens -- looking for them out in their yards or for homes with wheelchair ramps.

They employ several ruses to get into homes, including needing to use the telephone, needing a glass of water, wanting to write a note for a neighbor, or looking for a lost pet. Once inside, they will distract victims and confine them to one room, while others secretly enter and burglarize the home.

"They’re very good salesmen and divert their victims so they can commit their crimes," Fengel said.

Once they’ve stolen cash or other valuables, they race away in a vehicle. Many times, the victims are only able to provide police with minimal details of the getaway car.

"They are very hard to track," said Fengel, adding he’s working with Illinois State Police and Chicago area police departments to track down the thieves.

The Illinois Attorney General’s Office has set up the program "Senior Sleuths" designed to inform senior citizens of the different types of scams.

"Seniors are much, much too trusting for their own good," said Scott Mulford, spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office in Springfield. "They grew up in an age where trust was paramount and now one has to be very watchful of who they greet at the door and allow in their home."

Leslie Fark can be reached at (309) 686-3188 or lfark@pjstar.com.

Tips on how to counter a con

In the case of daytime scams or diversionary burglaries:

--Don’t keep a large amount of cash, jewelry or important documents in the house. A bank or safety deposit box is much safer.

--If someone you don’t recognize is entering your house or a neighbor’s house, or there are cars with out-of-state plates in the area, call the police.

--Keep all doors securely locked at all times -- even if outside gardening. Carry a cordless phone with you (even outside) so you can call the police.

--If someone comes to your house or approaches you asking for help, don’t let them inside. Tell them you will call the police for them.

In the case of home improvement burglaries:

--Do not let anyone inside your house who offers to do work on/around your house that you have not called.

--Invite a relative or neighbor to be with you while salesmen or repairmen are in your house.

--Never let someone in your house without first verifying his identification and purpose. Write down his name and call the company first if there are any questions. Even call the police if you feel uncomfortable.

Source: Illinois State Police and other law enforcement agencies.

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